Going to read that to see how the KLX did. I just bought a 2006 KLX in June. I took the 800GS last time on the WV portion of the TET, but it wasn't much fun in the mud.

Edit: it looks like you started at the same Sheetz by 224 that we did last summer.

It was the sheetz in weirton that we started at.

I would much prefer a klx to the 800gs on this ride. It had rained a lot before I went, then rained again on the second day. There was a lot of mud. I'll get more written later on today if I get a chance.

Can someone recommend a longer shift lever with a larger bar for the KLX 250? I have a 09 with the BB351 and FMF Q4 mostly because I am Six two and 200 lbs. My problem is my size 13 feet. It is fine with regular street boots but when doing the dual sport rides with my size 13 Gaernes it is hard to get my toe under the shifter. I tried rotating it up one notch on the shaft but then it is too high and I have to lift my whole leg to gear up. Not fun. I am not lazy but searching the web is very time consuming and I am 72 so I don't like to waste what time I have left to ride.
I would appreciate your input.
Thanks in advance.
Jim

Can someone recommend a longer shift lever with a larger bar for the KLX 250? I have a 09 with the BB351 and FMF Q4 mostly because I am Six two and 200 lbs. My problem is my size 13 feet. It is fine with regular street boots but when doing the dual sport rides with my size 13 Gaernes it is hard to get my toe under the shifter. I tried rotating it up one notch on the shaft but then it is too high and I have to lift my whole leg to gear up. Not fun. I am not lazy but searching the web is very time consuming and I am 72 so I don't like to waste what time I have left to ride.
I would appreciate your input.
Thanks in advance.
Jim

I could not get the MSR XR650L to fit. It needs to be bent out to clear the stator cover. I heated that thing up cherry red and it still would not bend. I ended up cutting mine and welding in another 3/4". That worked out great.

I ended up welding a plate inside the shifter to protect the stator cover. That was a good idea, as I dropped the bike a few times on that side and you could see where it contacted the cover but didn't damage it.

I could not get the MSR XR650L to fit. It needs to be bent out to clear the stator cover. I heated that thing up cherry red and it still would not bend. I ended up cutting mine and welding in another 3/4". That worked out great.

Do you think the stock XR650L shift lever would be easier to bend or is it steel also? I wonder how TNC handled that situation? Did he use the stock or MSR?
Jim

Anybody have any ideas for a decent street biased DS tire for the KLX? I've promised Mrs. Stain no more off road till next year and I rode mine for the first time tonight. What a fun little bike - but the big assed knobby tires on it are LOUD and it seems a shame to ruin good knobbies on tarmac...

I could not get the MSR XR650L to fit. It needs to be bent out to clear the stator cover. ...

I think maybe you received something other than an XR650L shifter. XR600R or XR650R maybe? Anyway, I recently installed an MSR XR650L shift lever on mine, and it sticks significantly further away from the case than the stock KLX250S lever. In fact I tried a little bit to bend mine closer to the stator cover to close up the gap. And from any pictures I've seen of the MSR XR650L lever installed on the KLX, the situation has been the same...it sticks farther from the stator cover than stock.

Whatever the case, I found that it is much easier to shift now than with the OEM lever.

My shifter lever did fit too close or too far out (don't remember which). Put her in the vice and gave a good tug and bent her into submission. She sure is not the soft metal stocker and I do worry a little about breaking the shaft on a crash. The MSR is stiff. Should install a shifter snake. Maybe take TNC advice and check Moose?

I think maybe you received something other than an XR650L shifter. XR600R or XR650R maybe? Anyway, I recently installed an MSR XR650L shift lever on mine, and it sticks significantly further away from the case than the stock KLX250S lever. In fact I tried a little bit to bend mine closer to the stator cover to close up the gap. And from any pictures I've seen of the MSR XR650L lever installed on the KLX, the situation has been the same...it sticks farther from the stator cover than stock.

Whatever the case, I found that it is much easier to shift now than with the OEM lever.

Ah, right. It's been a while since I tried that. You're right, the XR650L shift lever stuck out way too far and needed to be bent in. In any case it was unusable as stock, and I couldn't get it to work.

If the OEM XR650L shifter is as soft as the one on my XR250R, then it should be a piece of cake to bend.